" the psyches of misfits "

Good morning, Froma. I can't help trying to plumb
   the depths of young misfits,admitting that my credentials
   here would not compel public attention.
       But almost all of the violent crackups have this in
   common - a long wretched time in an obsessive state,their
   minds focusing on some real or imaginary EVIL.
       The mental health system stinks, but still even
    a better system could not deliver a legion of shrinks
    to deal with the budding psychopaths.
       Prevention is the answer.The obsessive state can
    be cured by the art of meditation. I know I sound a
    bit like a quack here.
        But how many horrific deeds would have been stopped
    by an hour of monkish meditation - with Gregorian chant
    soothing the disturbed person's soul ?
        Any person can find his own depths in the solitude
    of the meditative state.
        Kids need time just to be alone with themselves.
     Medititation can break the hold of GROUP THINK.
         The individual must not let the social rat
    race define him or her.
         In his book " The Sane Society " Erich Fromm
    made the case that a highly competitive capitalist
    society nurtures individual insanity.
         The WINNER and LOSER categories we have for
     human beings -especially in the sensitive early
     years -does not promote mental health.
        Think about it: Most of us are necessarily
      LOSERS by this society's  materialistic definition
      of SUCCESS.
           Older people can be philosophical about
      " failure " but the young can be devastated
      when they first begin to perceive the unreality
      of their dreams.
          A 30 year old woman wrote in her Open Diary :
       " I died when my dream died ".

                     Have a nice day- ron